WellSpan Health saw a 66% reduction in workplace violence within a year of implementing connected safety platform Canopy’s technology, the organizations said in a joint case study.
The reduction in DART (days away, restricted or transferred) injuries involved centralizing public safety operations and emergency response protocols, according to the organizations, which were supported by wearables and real-time location system (RTLS) technology for staff to request help during escalating situations.
Prior to working with Canopy, WellSpan Health Vice President of Public Safety Bill White said notifications were typically delayed.
“Our team members didn't have an easy way to call for assistance,” White said in the case study. “Team members feel more comfortable being able to have that button immediately available, push it, and get help there sooner rather than later."
Alongside decreased workplace injuries, the case study found increased reporting of verbal escalations and the system’s successful use in medical emergencies.
“The system's impact even crossed into clinical emergencies; in one instance, a lone team member used the Canopy button during a cardiac event,” the report said. “Because the system provided instant, precise location data, the team member received the needed medical care.”
White noted the injury reductions were the result of “multiple initiatives working together,” adding that Canopy “played a crucial role” in the success.
Workplace safety is at top of mind for hospital leaders, particularly following an uptick in safety events during the pandemic. A recent survey from Axon Health found that 93% of leaders view safety and security as essential or high priority. Eighty-four percent of respondents also reported at least “moderate operational disruption” related to safety challenges over the past year.
The experience demonstrates that hospitals can prevent violence against staff and instances are “not just inevitable,” Canopy CEO Shan Sinha said in an emailed statement to Fierce Healthcare.
Sinha said the connected safety platform creates technology designed to detect incidents pre-escalation and provides solutions to organizations with “a genuine commitment to the safety of their staff.”
“The impact is obvious—nurses and clinicians can’t do their jobs and take care of their patients when they are injured and away from work,” Sinha said. “In just one year, WellSpan reduced days of work lost to injury by 66%, showing their staff that the organization has their back, and giving them more days every year to do what they do best: care for patients.”